Still waiting on NCAA, Buckeyes 'optimistic' Palaie Gaoteote will get waiver
COLUMBUS — Whatever Palaie Gaoteote can control, he’s doing.
Enrolling in summer classes to stack up academic credits? Done.
Paying his own way to get the transition started after transferring from USC to Ohio State? Check.
Grinding through summer workouts and a grueling training camp despite no promise that he’ll even be allowed to play this season for the Buckeyes? No problem.
Eventually the NCAA owes Gaoteote an answer on his pending waiver for eligibility at Ohio State this season. The program surely deserves an answer as well since it can’t really make plans for how it might use the talented, hard-hitting linebacker without an assurance he’ll be part of the active roster.
The Buckeyes have a growing sense of confidence that Gaoteote will get good news at some point given everything the former five-star recruit has gone through this year. But nothing is ever guaranteed with the NCAA, which certainly doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to make its decision.
“[Gaoteote] has done everything we’ve asked him to do,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on Monday. “He’s paying his own way, he’s applied for a waiver with the NCAA, he’s taken some classes over the summer and done everything we’ve asked him to do. He was in a very, very tough spot through COVID. Not to get into his family situation, but it was hard for him.
“We’re very optimistic that the NCAA will grant his waiver to allow him to play this season. We’re really hoping it works out for him, because he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. I think when you get the details about everything he’s been through over the last year, two years — but certainly in the last year with COVID, you understand why things are the way they are for him. Very optimistic he’ll get the waiver.”
If cleared, Palaie Gaoteote will almost certainly claim a spot in the two-deep and become a factor right away in the defensive rotation.
There are a couple factors working in his favor there, starting with the fact that when he’s healthy, he’s a proven tackler and playmaker at the Power Five level. Beyond that, depth questions linger at linebacker for the Buckeyes with projected starter Dallas Gant appearing to still be dealing with a nagging injury and rising stars Cody Simon and Tommy Eichenberg both limited during an open practice this week.
The problem isn’t exactly new for the Buckeyes, who had to get creative with a long-snapper playing linebacker in the spring game and a walk-on safety filling in during a workout on Wednesday. And that’s why Gaoteote was so appealing to Ohio State over the summer when it explored its options in the transfer portal and wound up with one of the best veterans available on the market.
“Man, I tell you, Palaie is just a great person and a really hard-working kid,” linebackers coach Al Washington said. “He’s a really hard-working kid, and the group has really embraced him. Hopefully it works out. I just love the fact that he’s around, he gives off great energy and he’s definitely a good fit.”
Now the Buckeyes just need the clearance to actually plug him into a spot that appears perfectly made for him.
The clock is ticking with the season opener just two weeks away.
“There are a lot of things coming out of COVID that we have to work through,” Day said. “It’s certainly not ideal for him or us to not know if he’s going to be eligible or not. He’s been getting a decent amount of reps. That’s a little unsettling when you think if he doesn’t get his waiver that he’ll be ineligible to play right now. That’s hard on him.
“But hopefully we get a quick response so we can get him some information and us some information so we can move forward.”
Palaie Gaoteote has tackled everything the Buckeyes have asked of him so far, and there’s nothing else he can really do.
It’s up to the NCAA now to give him a green light to go hit somebody in a game.
